Devotion And Desire
by xDarcyDarknessx
Summary: Sequel to A Day In The Life. How will Yamato and Taichi adapt to their new situation? Taichi x Yamato, Hikari x Takeru. REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

_This is a **sequel** to the story **A Day In The Life**._

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Digimon. This applies to all chapters of this story.

**Warnings:** Boy x boy, strong language, mature subjects. In other words, you clicked this KNOWING it was rated M. Consider that fair warning. This also applies to all chapters of the story, though not all will necessarily need it.

**PS.** Thanks to everyone who reviewed the final chapter of ADITL!

I tried writing a first chapter for this one, but I liked my second chapter better so I just wrote a really short sort of 'prologue' and then straight into chapter 2. The prologue ends after the three stars (***) and then it's chapter 2. Like a two-for-one deal!

--*--

_Ughh_… _what time is it_? Yamato Ishida thought, rolling over to face the clock. Instead of greeting the glowing red numbers of his alarm clock, he was greeted by rolling his face directing into a pile of frizzy brown hair.

"'Chi," he mumbled into the silence, "Wake up, sleepyhead."

The sleeping boy groaned and weakly tried to push Yamato away. Soon, the blonde began remembering the previous night's occurrences.

Taichi twisted around to face Yamato, now smiling. "I had the best dream ever, Yama. But I can't tell you what happened, you'd think I was a pervert."

"That wasn't a dream, 'Chi. It really happened."

"You mean – you – me… we…"

"Yeah. We did. If you want proof, where are your pajamas?"

The brunette lifted up the green sheet and looked down at his naked body. "Oh." He didn't exactly think very clearly upon just being woken up. "So, what time is it?"

"THAT'S your reaction?!" Yamato sounded stressed. Taichi just shrugged. Sighing, the blonde glanced at the clock. "One twenty-seven… Shit! I have band practice at two!" He scurried out of the bed and started to pull clothes on, then paused. "I smell like you."

"Go take a shower, then," Tai offered. "Oh, um, don't forget, the air conditioning was busted in your practice space. So, you're putting on the wrong clothes, anyways. You'll sweat to death."

The blonde grinned. "Sometimes, I think you know me better than I know myself." He grabbed his towel off of a chair and headed for the washroom.

Twenty minutes later, he was dressed, his hair was styled, and he and Taichi headed to the door. They kissed quickly before heading out and leaving in opposite directions.

"Love you." Yamato said quietly as he left. Taichi barely heard him.

"I love you too, Yama."

***

It was two-thirty in the afternoon when Yamato heard the practice door open click shut. He stopped playing and turned to see a black-haired youth standing in the doorway.

He wore blood-red skinny jeans, black low-top Converse sneakers, and a tattered black shirt that read "Boys Night Out". A studded cuff hung from his pale, thin left wrist. His hair, Yamato noted, was still a mess.

"Hey Ken, glad you could make it."

The blonde began introducing Ken to his band mates: Takumi, the eccentric eighteen year old drummer, and Akira, the short, stocky bassist.

The air conditioning in their rented practice space had broken down two weeks ago, and it seemed to Ken that the boys had tried to improvise for the heat of the crowded concrete room. Takumi was wearing nothing but a pair of pink terrycloth girl's shorts, a look that was more amusing than anything. His hair was styled into a bright blue fauxhawk. Being the drummer, he was still quite sweaty, but didn't seem to mind.

Akira had his mid-length brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, with a few stray strands still falling in his face. He wore a tee shirt and cargo shorts, which didn't appear to deviate very far from what Ken assumed his everyday apparel would be. Akira was a quiet boy, in strong contrast to Takumi's antics.

Yamato himself was the biggest shock to Ken. He wore a tight, baby-blue undershirt and a pair of _very_ short denim shorts. Had they been a half-inch shorter, the raven-haired boy could have sworn Yamato would be exposed. _Wait,_ Ken thought, _I've seen those shorts before._ Lots of girls wore the style, but Yamato's pair had bright purple stitching along the sides and on the back pocket. He could remember someone else… but if it were another boy, he would certainly recall it more clearly. _Wait, I know!_

"Yamato, are those Hikari's shorts?"

The blonde blushed deeply. "She's the only one the same size as me. I don't have any shorts, and I hate sweat, so I got Taichi to get her to lend me some. When the heat gets to you, you'll understand why I need them."

Ken nodded. He could feel the heat already. "You could've told me, though. I would've come half-naked, too," he said, smirking.

"If you want to even the playing field, nobody's stopping you," Takumi pointed out. Ken couldn't tell if his tone was factual or flirtatious. Either way, he couldn't deny that the drummer had a fair point. Reaching for the hem of his shirt, he pulled it over his head in one swift motion before discarding it in some forgotten corner of the room. Takumi let out a wolf-whistle and Yamato laughed.

"'Kumi, you pedo, he's barely even fifteen. Stop ogling him. Sorry, Ken. You ready for practice?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Truth be told, Ken was still a little bit nervous about trying to scream with a band. What if he sounded stupid? What if he came in at the wrong time, or lost the beat of the song? He was terrified, actually. Still, after choosing a song that all parties knew well enough to play, they began.

--*--

Yamato boldly sang the melodic parts of the song. Ken had a white-knuckle grip on the microphone. He felt stupid. What if the idea he had in his mind of what he sounded like wasn't what he really sounded like? He remembered when he once thought he was intelligent and good at everything just because he was better than everyone else. In reality, he had been infected. He was only being used.

Still, he couldn't help but be reassured by Yamato's smile. Ken guessed that Yamato was really in his element when he sang, because normally the blonde seemed more shy and withdrawn than he was now, laughing with his bandmates and singing his heart out.

--*--

Yamato was thoroughly impressed with Ken's obvious talent, and he made a point to tell him so. The compliment caused a pale blush to spread across the younger boy's face. After practice was through, though, the blonde told the black-haired boy that he needed to have a 'private meeting' with Takumi and Akira. Ken stood outside the room, cursing the day soundproof doors were ever invented.

_Are they mocking me? Yama was probably just being nice. They're probably making fun of me, and were too cowardly to do it to my face._ He felt himself getting angry. Why couldn't Yamato say whatever it was that he was telling Takumi and Akira to Ken's face? He would have left then and there, but he had left his shirt in the practice room. The door was locked.

Finally, after about six or seven minutes, the door reopened. Yamato smiled at Ken.

"Sorry for making you wait, Ken," Yamato started, "but I had to run an idea past the guys first. They seem to like it." Here, Takumi nodded excitedly at Ken while Akira gave the younger boy a small smile.

"We really liked practicing with you today, Ken. And we'd like to practice with you again," Akira stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"And, we want you to record with us on our next album. We want you to go on tour with us. Basically, what I'm saying is, we want you in our band, Ken." Yamato continued.

"Do you have what it takes to be a Teenage Wolf?" Takumi asked in his best game-show host impression. The boys laughed.

Ken's jaw dropped. Here he had been thinking he had been sent out of the room so that they could mock him, or figure out a way to break it to him that he sucked. Instead, they were asking him to join their band. He couldn't be happier. Swallowing the disbelieving lump in his throat, he nodded.

"I don't know if I have what it takes, but I'd love to find out."

Takumi threw his arms around Ken in a bear hug, lifting him off the ground. Akira grinned and Yamato beamed in pride and happiness for his friend.

--*--

Soon, each of the boys had to leave. The raven-haired youth didn't have anything else to do, really. He decided he would just walk home, even though it was pretty far away. Leaving the practice space, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, his violet eyes met friendly blue ones.

"Hey, Ken. Wanna come to my apartment and grab a bite and have something to drink? You shouldn't walk home on an empty stomach, and your throat could probably use a cup of tea right about now," Yamato offered with a smile. _Why is he being so nice?_ No one was ever this nice to Ken, not since he had ceased being 'Ken Ichijouji: boy genius' and become an average teenage boy.

"Sure," he replied finally, growing increasingly more shy around his new bandmate. They walked in near silence, except for the blonde's occasional complaints about the cold air nipping at his bare legs. While Ken had pulled his shirt back on, Yamato hadn't thought to bring an alternative pair of pants. Ken just laughed, but felt sorry for his friend. The raven-haired boy could see the goose bumps on Yamato's thin, pale thighs.

When they reached Yamato's apartment, the blonde hurried to the kitchen to make tea for Ken and himself, telling the younger boy to 'make himself at home' in the living room.

When he returned with two steaming cups of tea, Ken was on the couch, crying.

Yamato rushed to comfort the boy, placing the cups on the side table and sitting down next to Ken, throwing his own arms around the younger boy's shoulders.

"What's wrong?"

At this, Ken looked up at Yamato and a smile graced his lips. It seemed that these were not tears of sadness, but of joy falling from his brilliant violet eyes.

"Nothing is wrong, Yama. Nothing could be wrong. For the first time ever, everything is going right for me." He kept eye contact with the blonde boy. "My parents only ever cared about me because Osamu was gone. The Digidestined only see me as a charity case. We have nothing in common anymore, and they only talk to me because they feel obliged. Finally, it seems like I've met someone who likes me for being _me_, and that's you, Yamato. I couldn't be _happier_. Thank you."

The older boy couldn't decide whether to be flattered or saddened at this. He tightened his arms around the black-haired boy, hugging him tightly and deciding to comfort him.

"Of course I like you. You've never given yourself enough credit, Ken. Your parents were confused after losing their brother, but they're your _parents._ They're there to love you no matter what. And it's been what, four years since you kids defeated Malomyotismon? They wouldn't stay that long if they didn't genuinely like you, Ken. You've got friends, you just can't see it."

"Real friends would let me see it. Real friends wouldn't call me a _faggot_ behind my back, like Daisuke did last week. They'd call me to hang out instead of telling me how great of a weekend I missed out on. But they never do. They forget about me. I had to switch to _their_ school, because I thought they'd forgotten about me. But they still ignored me, Yama. Hikari's the only one who even tries anymore."

Silence filled the air. In all honesty, Yamato couldn't think of a response to what Ken had shared with him. And he got a really, _really_ strong urge to punch Daisuke hard in the jaw. _Actually, scratch that_. Yamato threw weak punches. He'd get Taichi to do it.

Ken focused on Yamato's arms, still wrapped tightly around his shoulders. He felt the blonde's bare leg brushing against his own clothed one. He saw the sympathetic look in Yamato's eyes. He saw his friend's lips, pink and chapped from singing.

He wanted to taste them.

He did.

In one motion, he swung his body so that he was straddling Yamato, and began to fiercely kiss the blonde without warning. Shocked, the blonde quickly decided to kiss back. After all, hadn't he just witnessed how fragile Ken could be? He didn't want to hurt the younger boy.

However, Yamato's mind went into panic mode when Ken's lips travelled away from his own, down his jaw, down his neck, as the younger boy's mouth latched to the blonde's collarbone; when he kissed it, Yamato shuddered, throwing his head the other way to expose more of his neck and shoulder to the black-haired boy. It felt_ too good._ He felt Ken smile against his skin at this. He felt fingers play with the hem of his tank top, and he let Ken pull it off over his head, scowling at the momentary break from affection.

Slipping his hands under the younger boy's shirt, Yamato let his own hands sit on Ken's waist. He tried hard to convince himself that he didn't want this. After all, he had finally made progress with Taichi. _But Taichi refuses to date me. He just wants a steady fuck._ And Ken was Takeru's friend, and worse, he was Takeru's age. _He's so much more mature than the rest of them, though. He looks older than them, and he's less…_ innocent, that was the word. Still, Ken was barely fifteen, while Yamato would be eighteen in a few short months. If this turned into a relationship and lasted until Yamato turned eighteen, the blonde could get into a lot of trouble with the law.

Yet all of his concerns vanished as he felt Ken's cool lips press against his lower stomach. The younger boy had slid off of his lap and was kneeling on the floor before Yamato, hands fumbling with the button on the blonde's shorts. Ken wanted _him_. He didn't just want a lay, like Taichi, or someone with a famous name, the way that the fangirls did.

No, Ken wanted Yamato because he _liked_ him. Yamato moved his hands to the couch, pushing his hips upward so that Ken could slide the shorts off of his hips. They fell to his ankles, and in another quick tug, his underwear joined them.

Letting himself fall back down onto the couch with a soft _plop_, he weaved his fingers into Ken's hair. It was softer than he expected. As the boy tried to continue his kissing on the insides of Yamato's thighs, the blonde groaned in frustration, too consumed for coherent speaking. He pulled the younger boy's head in the direction of the main event.

Yamato felt Ken grin against him once more before swallowing him whole.

Yamato moaned. _Whore,_ he thought, mentally scolding himself. What was he thinking? What would Taichi think of him now?

Suddenly, the loud ringing of his phone cut through the moment. Thinking it might be his dad saying he was on his way home, Yamato reluctantly tugged Ken away from himself. He picked up the cordless phone on the end table and pressed 'talk'.

"Hello. Ishida residence, Yamato speaking."

"_Hey Yama," _a friendly and familiar voice replied. "_Guess where I am?"_

_Speak of the devil._

Yamato sighed. He didn't have time for guessing games; he just wanted to return to Ken. "Where are you, Taichi?"

"_I'm outside your apartment. I thought we could hang out."_

Yamato glanced back at the boy sitting on his living room floor, lips swollen and eyes hungry for Yamato.

"Now's not a good time, Taichi. I'm really busy; I'm… doing my Biology homework."

"_I could come in and help you learn a little 'biology'..." _Tai offered suggestively, obviously thinking he was being clever.

"No, Taichi. Now I've got to go." He hung up the phone before the brunette could respond and pulled Ken back towards him.

"Now, where were we?"

A short while later and Yamato was on the edge of ecstasy. He was thrusting hard into Ken's mouth, the younger boy more than happy to oblige. A knocking at the door interrupted them for the second time.

"Oh, what _the fuck_ is it this time?"

Yamato quickly pulled his clothes back on and told Ken to hide in his bedroom. He ran towards the door, pulling it open.

_God dammit._ It was Taichi again.

"You've got all weekend to do your homework, Yamato, but I'm going to be busy _all day_ tomorrow. And I want you, badly. Please, just let me in?"

Yamato sighed. "I'm really busy, Taichi."

"It can wait." Tai said softly, and kissed the blonde before he could respond, closing the door behind him while still keeping his lips glued to Yamato's. He pushed the shorter boy gently against the entranceway wall, and kissed his neck. Yamato stayed silent. He felt too guilty.

A door creaked open. "Are they gone, Yama? I heard the door close."

"Yamato?" Ken called out again, not finding the boy in the living room. He searched the small apartment quickly to see – _oh god._

His legs collapsed under him as he fell to the ground, sobbing.

----

Review? Please?

Love always,

Darcy


	2. Chapter 2

"Fuck." Yamato muttered, shoving Taichi off of him and rushing to the aid of the crying boy. "Ken? Are you alright?"

Ken just shook his head. "I'm so stupid. I should have known you would use me, just like the rest of them."

Taichi just looked confused, not angry at Yamato. "Yammie, what's going on?"

"I guess I have a lot of explaining to do, huh," the blonde replied. He stared at a blank wall, not daring to meet the eyes of either of the other boys. He turned to Tai. "I broke the deal, 'Chi. We weren't supposed to see other people. I'm sorry."

He knelt down beside the black-haired boy, wondering if anything he said could erase the betrayal Ken felt. "Ken… I'm so sorry. I tried to tell you, I really did. It's just… it was a difficult subject for me to bring up. Taichi isn't my boyfriend… but we do have a relationship that's different from most friends, I guess. We were only supposed to have that with each other. I should have stopped you. I was cheating."

"Yammie," the brunette started, "you forgave me for breaking a rule far worse than that one yesterday. I guess we're both just figuring this out." He smiled faintly, still looking a little shocked.

Ken just sobbed harder. "Of course you choose him. I'm such an idiot! Why did I think you would want _me_? I thought if I could make you feel good, you'd want more. You'd want to date me. I should have known you'd have found someone better."

Yamato felt guilty. _What am I supposed to say to that?_ _I can't get his hopes up when I can't be with him. But I don't want to break him, either. _Yamato was at a loss for words. He couldn't think of anything to say to comfort Ken.

"Ken, sometimes things don't work out the way you expect them to. But something good will come of it, I promise you that. Life can't deal you a bad hand every time." Taichi offered. _God, does he always know what to say?_ Yamato thought. He sure thought a lot more rationally than most would expect him to, being the soccer jock and all.

"Plus," Yamato interjected, "Takumi was definitely flirting with you at band practice."

Ken giggled. "Yeah, I could tell. But I already messed up with you; you don't want me breaking up the band with more of my stupid feelings, do you?"

"It would take more than some stupid feelings to break us up. Now come on, Tai will drive you home." With that, Yamato stood, offering a hand out to help the younger boy stand. Ken was still shaking a little bit, but the two older boys helped him carefully to Tai's mother's car, which the brunette had borrowed after his own car broke down.

The drive to Ken's house was filled with awkward silence. When they arrived, the raven-haired boy stepped out of the car, offering a quiet goodbye to the older teens. Tai waved his right hand once at the Ken, signaling his own farewell.

Taichi continued driving in silence while Yamato stared out the window. He watched as the housing became less and less dense, and soon they were on the edge of city limits. Here, Taichi pulled the car over.

"I can't do this, Yama." He didn't look at the blonde, instead opting to watch an old red truck whiz by.

The blonde also averted his best friend's gaze. He stared down at his knees, pale and bony, still bare because he was in shorts.

"But… I can't _not_ do this. It's confusing. You're my best friend, and I love you… but, I think I might _really_ love you. Like, _love_-love. I can't see you with anyone else. Not ever. I wanted to die in there, Yama. I know what was going through your head. I saw how fragile he was. But didn't you at least think of me? Or did you think I just wanted a screw from you?" The brunette faced Yamato. "I couldn't live with myself if I let you think that, Yamato. That's why I'm telling you this."

Yamato blushed. He felt a hot tear roll down his cheek. "I did think that," he admitted. "And I was angry. I love you too, Taichi. But you just keep hurting me."

"That's why I think we should cut the crap." Now, the blonde was a little scared. He really didn't know what Tai was going to say next. _Is he going to tell me he needs a break? From being my friend, from being friends-with-benefits, or anything else?_ He felt Tai's rough thumb caress his jaw as his icy blue eyes met warm brown ones.

"Yama," the brunette started, "I love you and I would really, really love it if you would be my boyfriend. I'm sorry for playing stupid little games with you. I'm not gonna be able to tell people that you're my boyfriend right away, but I don't want to have to stop myself from showing you how much I love you when we're alone."

The blonde could have died of happiness right then. He unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed over the middle part of the car and into Tai's lap. The steering wheel dug into his back, a little painfully, but it was okay. He would deal with anything just to be closer to Taichi. A tiny smile appeared on his lips as he slowly pressed them onto his best friend's… _wait, make that boyfriend._

After what seemed like forever, the blonde pulled away to breathe.

"I'll take that as a 'yes', then." the brunette chuckled, smirking. "You're kissing me already, and we haven't even been on one date yet. What would your mother think?"

"Well, we'll have to fix that, then. Where are you gonna be taking me? Are you gonna pay, Mr. Too-Broke-To-Fix-His-Car?"

"Riiiiight." _I forgot about that part. Alright, time for a new idea, quick._ "Okay, I know: We'll go to my house and I'll make you dinner, and we can watch a movie. A scary one, the kind you hate, so you'll be like, 'Chi, I'm scared, hold me'. Or I could yawn and put my arm around you, and every other horrible stereotype we can think of."

"That sounds perfect." The blonde smiled.

"Tonight, then? Unless you really do have Biology homework…" Tai was mumbling, and Yamato could feel him tensing up uncomfortably underneath him.

"Tonight works. What's wrong?"

"It's just kinda of embarrassing… I'm a senior in high school and this is my first date. Actually, yesterday… was my first kiss. And my first time, but that's at least a little bit understandable. The thing is, I'm nervous. And normally you'd be the one I'd ask for advice, but it's a little awkward, considering."

Yama blushed. Tai was just _so cute_ when he was being shy and awkward, probably because it wasn't his norm. "Tai, you could feed me burnt food, you could make me watch a terrible movie, you could say the most awkward things, hell; I could fall out the window and break every bone in my body, and it would still be the best date I've ever been on, because it would be with you. So, relax. It'll be fine."

The brunette leaned forward and kissed the thin blonde boy on the nose. "Thanks, Yama." Then, as an afterthought, he added, "but please don't break all your bones. Because then you'd be in a body cast and our _second_ date would be ruined."

The blonde just laughed as he climbed back into his seat. "Come on, you should drive me home. I've got a big date tonight and I want to look _hot_."

***

A/N: So, I've realized that I'm putting a lot more dialogue in this story than I did in the last one. I hope that's okay with you guys.

Sorry this chapter is so much shorter than the last one.

Thanks to DarkMetalAngel of Destruction, Sumi19, and RavenAngelxX for the awesome reviews! I have come to the conclusion that is just way too nice for my ego to handle.

Love,

Darcy


	3. Chapter 3

Yamato stood in front of the full-length mirror in his bathroom and frowned.

_I look like I'm trying to hard. Well, I am trying too hard, but… it's not right. It's not perfect yet._ He also supposed that the tightest pair of pants he owned would be a little uncomfortable for movie-watching with Taichi.

He figured he looked okay from the waist up, wearing a slim-fitting crimson t-shirt with some faded print and having styled his hair to perfection. He smudged some black make-up around his eyes and smiled. _Okay, now to fix the pants._ He wandered back to his room and rummaged through his drawers to find something decent.

He heard the click of the door handle twisting open as he fumbled to pull off the tighter pants. Yanking them back up quickly, he walked to greet his father.

Yamato treasured the time he could spend with his dad, mostly since the man wasn't home often. The blonde also promised himself that if he ever had kids – by adoption, most likely – that he would always be there when they needed him. After being left to fend for himself most of his life, Yamato didn't want to subject his own children to the same fate.

"Hey, Dad. Staying long, or just dropping by?"

The man frowned. "You know me too well. I've got two hours and then I'm going back. Emergency kind of thing, we never have enough men on the job when we need them. At least I get the overtime, though. You're looking pretty dressed up; you don't have a gig tonight, do you?"

"Uh, no… I have a date, actually."

"Oh! So who's the lucky lady?" He ruffled his son's hair, and Yamato pulled away, scowling and trying to fix it. _What do I tell him? I can't make up some person; he knows I don't like dating people without getting to know them first. And I'm a bad liar. Well… it's as good a time as any…_

"There is no lucky lady, Dad."

"So you don't have a date?"

"…My date is with Taichi." Yamato wanted to smile, blush, cry and break down all at once. What would his dad think?

An almost inaudible 'oh.' came from his father. The teen stared at the floor, covered in cheap grey carpet. It was rough under his bare toes, but he was used to it by now.

"…Well, good luck then," his father finally replied, scratching at the back of his neck.

With nothing left to say, Yamato wandered back into his bedroom and changed into some looser jeans. Sticking his signature studded belt through the loops, he completed his outfit. He went back to the full length mirror. _Not perfect, but it'll do._ He could care less about looking 'hot' for Taichi right now. He ran into the kitchen to find his father eating a bowl of cereal.

"You should eat, you know," his father stated. "You don't eat enough."

"Tai's making me supper."

The man nodded. "He's a good kid. So, I guess… if you like him, and he treats you well… I suppose you have my approval. It's just a bit of a shock, that's all."

Yamato hugged his father tightly. "Thanks, dad. It means a lot."

"I guess it would be pointless for me to make a rule that he can't be over here alone with you, right? Not like I could enforce it, anyways."

The blonde teen blushed. He wondered if his dad would still let them have their 'monthly sleepovers'. He didn't think arguing that it was a _tradition_ was going to do him any good. Might as well try it, though, right?

"Can he, um, can we still have sleepovers? We have them _all the time_. It would be kind of weird if we just stopped, you know?"

He watched nervously as his father pondered this for a moment. The older man was frowning. "You have money saved, correct?" Yamato nodded. "If you buy a spare bed, he can sleep over. And you _will_ be sleeping in separate beds."

"Fair enough." Yamato wasn't going to argue that his father wouldn't let him have sex with his boyfriend. If push came to shove, he could lock his room, anyways.

--*--

There was a knock at the door. Eyeing the clock, Yamato discovered that it was seven twenty. If it was Tai, he was ten minutes early.

Opening the heavy wooden door, Yamato smiled. It was Taichi.

"You should be proud, you know. I'm never early, not for anything. I was just so excited."

A call came from the kitchen. "Hello, Yagami."

"Shit," Tai whispered.

"It's okay, I told him." Yamato said, smiling.

"Aren't you gonna come in here and impress your date's father? Where are your manners, boy?" Mr. Ishida called again.

Tai grabbed Yamato's hand for comfort and walked towards the kitchen. There he found Yamato's father, still eating his cereal.

"Hello, Hiroaki. Um, Yama and I were going to go to my house to eat, and watch a movie. What time should I have him back by?" _This is ridiculous, I've met Yamato's dad hundreds of times. Why am I trying so hard to impress him? Oh, I'm dating his son. Riiiiight. _

"Just don't keep him overnight. You're a good kid, though, I've got no worries." Taichi felt a pang of guilt as he remembered the previous night. Well, they were starting over new and this time would be different. Even if Yamato wanted to wait, or go slow, Tai would do whatever the blonde wanted. After all, Yamato was worth it.

After a brief conversation with Yamato's father, the pair decided it was time to leave. Taichi held Yamato's hand in his own as they walked down the stairs and out of the apartment, dropping it when they emerged onto the busy sidewalk and walked to his mother's car.

Yamato sighed. He wished it could be simpler. He didn't want to hide from the world. Still, he couldn't help but smile when Taichi opened the passenger door for him.

"Such a gentleman," he whispered, giggling. Tai smiled.

--*--

Tai unlocked the door and led Yamato into the dining room. There were candles set up all around, and the brunette took out a lighter and lit them all. Then, he told Yamato to wait as he went into the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with two bowls.

"I was going to cook you something nice, but my mom's recipes weren't really much of a help and I'm not exactly a great cook either. So, I resorted to the only think I really know how to make. I hope you like your fancy-schmancy dinner of ramen." he said, smiling and placing one of the bowls in front of Yamato.

The blonde tasted the noodles. "Best ramen ever."

"Oh, and I bought some ice cream, for dessert. So, it's not all bad. It's the good kind, in that cookie dough flavor you like."

Yamato wanted to kiss Taichi right there. He wanted to say 'fuck it' to the rest of the date and just make out with his new boyfriend. He couldn't do it, though. Taichi had put so much effort into trying to make the date perfect, so he had to go along with the brunette's plans for the evening.

Tai disappeared into the kitchen again, this time returning with two bowls of the cookie dough ice cream. Yamato's bowl had a maraschino cherry on top. The blonde smiled, and moved his chair closer to Taichi's, pressing the cherry against his boyfriend's lips.

"I thought you liked them," Tai stated, confused. After he finished speaking, the cherry was promptly shoved into his mouth.

"I like you better, though," was the blonde's reply. He pressed his lips against Taichi's, reclaiming his treat. He really did love maraschino cherries. He pulled away to finish eating it.

Tai smiled. "You're so cute," he thought aloud. "Didn't your parents ever teach you not to play with your food?"

--*--

Yamato snuggled up to his boyfriend's warm chest as the brunette fumbled with the DVD remote. Finally, 'Saw' began. The blonde supposed Taichi really wasn't kidding when he said they'd watch a scary movie that he'd hate. It was alright, though, since Yamato didn't plan to focus on the movie anyways. He buried himself closer into Taichi's chest as Tai covered them both in a large blue quilt.

Tai looked down an hour into the movie at the blonde boy, knowing that Yamato had been fast asleep for the past half hour. He turned off the movie and ran his hands gently through his boyfriend's golden blonde hair. _He really is an angel._

Stroking Yamato's face with his thumb, Taichi felt the powder of the blonde's concealer and remembered the bruise on his face from the asshole in gym class. He wanted – _needed_ to protect Yamato. He just didn't know how to do it without risking everything.

The blonde made some soft noises and began to stir. Tai just continued touching his face and hair. Soon, Yamato opened his calming blue eyes and smiled, remembering where he was.

"Is the movie over?"

"Yes. Well, I turned it off. It's about nine forty-five, how long can you stay before your dad starts to wonder?"

"He won't be home tonight. But I should probably be back by midnight, just in case he calls. He might, he calls to check up on me a lot."

Tai thought about it for a minute. "So, that leaves us about two hours, because of the time it'll take me to drive you." Yamato just smiled in response. Tai cupped the tiny blonde's face and pressed his pale lips to his own. "What will we do for two hours, I wonder?"

As if on cue, they heard the front door unlatch and giggling began. Someone was being shushed _very loudly._

Then, a female voice appeared. "Don't worry, I don't think anyone's home."

A crash sounded and more giggling followed, with muffled laughter coming from a male voice. "Come on, 'Kar, let's go to your room."

Both of the teenage boys leapt up off the couch and bounded down to the entranceway. Yamato arrived to find Takeru attached to Hikari at the lips, and grabbing his brother's shirt collar he forcibly pulled him away from Taichi's little sister.

Tai looked like he wanted to punch Takeru's lights out, but with the boy looking just like a younger version of Yamato, he couldn't do it. He settled for dragging the younger blonde to the couch with Yamato's help.

"Are you _drunk_?" Yamato yelled at his younger sibling.

"No, I only had a few, I swear." The older teens could tell he was lying.

"Alright, I'm calling Mom to pick you up. I'll let her deal with you." He picked up the phone and had a brief conversation with his mother.

"You're also not allowed in Hikari's bedroom!" Tai yelled. "I know what you were thinking, and you're both too young for that."

Hikari interrupted, "But 'Chi, you and Yama were in here on the couch with the lights turned off. Who are you to tell us what we can and can't do?" She giggled some more.

Takeru looked extremely confused. "'Kar, they're both boys. They were probably just watching a movie."

"Nope," Hikari said, smiling in a lopsided drunken manner. "'Chi likes boys. 'Chi likes _Yama_. And they kissed and they slept together. At least, that's what 'Chi told me when he got home this morning, I remember."

Tai immediately regretted telling Hikari about the previous night. He had been so _confused_ about his feelings for Yamato, and 'Kari had been the only one who knew he was gay. He had to talk to someone about it. _Didn't I? She always gives good advice. But maybe I put the idea in her head that it was okay for her to have sex with Takeru._

"Yam'," Takeru began, "Yam', are you an' Taichi, like…," He made a motion with his hands, connecting them.

"We're together, yeah."

"F-for how long?"

"A while." He couldn't exactly tell his brother that they had just begun dating that afternoon. After all, that would raise a few questions about Hikari's statement that Yamato and Taichi had had sex the previous night. "Don't tell anyone, alright? Only you, 'Kari and Dad know. Oh, and Ken, I suppose."

"Why does Ken know? You told that freak before you told your own brother? What the fuck, 'Yam?!"

"He _knows_ because he's in my _band_, and I don't appreciate you calling my bandmate a 'freak'. We'll talk later, alright? Mom is going to be here soon."

--*--

A few minutes passed in awkward silence before Ms. Takaishi arrived at the door, picking up Takeru and being told by Yamato that he was drunk. He didn't mention anything about Hikari and Takeru wanting to have sex. When Takeru left, Hikari just sat in the living room with the two teenage boys and moped.

"Do you think you could drive me home now, Taichi? I'm kind of tired and let's face it; our date is kind of dead now."

Tai just nodded. "Could you wait outside for a minute? I have something I want to say to Hikari."

Yamato walked to the front entrance and laced his Converse sneakers, then stood outside of the apartment and waited.

"So what are you gonna say, 'Chi?" Hikari asked, still with the stupid alcoholic smile on her lips.

"I wanted to tell you thanks. Thanks for fucking up and ruining my first date. Thanks for sitting here like the whiney little bitch you are and making Yama want to leave. I really appreciate it. Thanks for outing Yamato to his brother. Remember how hard it was for me to tell you? You fucked it all up for him. I hope you're pleased with yourself."

With that, Taichi left, leaving Hikari slouched in a leather armchair in their living room, dumbfounded.

***

A/N: I felt bad because the last chapter was _really shitty_, so I'm updating again.

And before you start, I don't hate Takeru and Hikari. I just wanted to get them drunk.

PS. If you're reading this story and it makes no sense, or the characters are referencing something that happened that wasn't on the show, you probably need to read 'A Day in the Life'. It's my other story and this is the sequel.


	4. Chapter 4

It was two in the afternoon. The blinds were shut, but thin rays of light still made their way through. Yamato sat on an old brown sofa, watching the specks of dust swirl in the air, bored out of his mind.

He had tried calling Takeru that morning around eleven, to find that the younger boy was still asleep. Unsurprising, considering he was probably hung over, and Yamato didn't want to keep calling back. His mother might start wondering why he needed to talk with his brother, but that would be a long story, and one Yamato didn't want to tell.

Hikari had come over to apologize a little after noon. Taichi had driven her over, and just stood in the doorway listening to her apology. The blonde wondered if it had been her idea or her brother's forcing that made her do it. She did seem to feel pretty bad, though, and there was no doubt in Yamato's mind that she had been sincere about it.

When she was finished, they left. Yamato half-expected, and definitely _wanted_ Taichi to stay, but he did have to drive his sister home.

The blonde sighed and picked up the cordless telephone. Dialing the number, he waited for the voice on the other end to pick up.

"Takaishi residence, Takeru speaking," he heard his brother's voice respond.

"Hey TK, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today. It's been a while since we've actually spent time together… and we need to talk."

Yamato was nervous. He didn't know what he'd say to his brother. _Hey, I guess you know already, but I'm into guys. _Or maybe, _Tai and I are older, so if we get married first, you and Hikari will be siblings-in-law. _Ew, incest. _Why am I thinking of Tai and I getting married?_ It was random, and Yamato took a momentary pause from his thoughts to consider this.

The picture in his mind was horrifying. He donned an elaborate white wedding gown. _I'm hardly a virgin bride. _Tai's hair was all slicked back and greasy, and his shoes squeaked when he walked down the aisle. Miyako was the flower girl, giggling behind her palm and loudly whispering "How cute!" to nearby guests.

Thankfully, Takeru's voice pulled him out of his day-nightmare.

"Yeah, I guess. Should I just come to Dad's, then?"

"Can mom drive you?"

Takeru told Yamato to wait as he went to ask his mom. A few moments later, he returned.

"I'll be over in ten minutes, alright?"

"See you then," Yamato said, taking note of the current time. With a click, Takeru was gone.

--*--

It took the younger blonde a total of fourteen minutes to arrive at his brother's apartment. Yamato had been watching the clock carefully, and had distracted himself by cooking pasta for himself and Takeru. Two bowls sat out on the counter, surrounded by the array of sauces and things Takeru liked on his pasta. Yamato was content to just eat it plain.

The older boy rushed to the door when he heard Takeru knock.

"Hey Yama," he said, slipping off his shoes and throwing his hat and sweater on the couch.

"Hi TK. I made some pasta. It's in the kitchen, if you want some."

"No thanks. I ate just before you called… thanks, though."

Yamato just smiled. "Alright, well, do you want to play video games then? Or go out somewhere?" The older boy really just wanted to get it over with.

Takeru frowned. "Yam', you're shaking. I've never seen you this tense before." He broke eye contact with his brother. "Is this about what happened yesterday?"

Yamato sat down on the sofa again, pulling his knees up to his chest. "Of course this is about yesterday. I feel like I don't know you anymore. And you clearly don't know me well enough, either."

Takeru looked confused. Yamato continued talking. "I think Tai knew, deep down, that I would like him back. Maybe that's why he liked me in the first place. He can read me like an open book. He would have walked in here and known I made that pasta for you because I was scared out of my fucking mind. He would have known I'd get out every little thing you like on your pasta: grated cheese, tomato sauce, little cut up pieces of broccoli, and lots of pepper; setting it up like I had OC-fucking-D. I think you used to know me well enough. You would have smiled the way you used to, when Mom and Dad broke up. You smiled so fucking much, and I thought you were crazy for being happy. I know now that's what you do; you smile because it makes other people happy, not because you're really happy. I used to think you were a symbol of innocence, but I guess I don't know you anymore either."

"You're right," the younger blonde stated. "I should have known."

They sat in silence for a while, until Yamato remembered another question for his younger brother.

"Takeru, why the fuck did you think it was okay to get drunk and try to have sex with Hikari?"

The younger blonde blushed. "She's less shy when she's drunk. I thought she might… y'know, _want_ to more, if she had a couple drinks."

The older blonde slapped his younger brother hard across the face. "Takeru Takaishi, you know that's not okay. You're damn lucky me and Taichi were there to stop you."

"I know. But what were you and Taichi doing before we got home? You seemed flustered when we came in." _Oh, shit shit shit. Well, we weren't really doing anything. We were about to, but he doesn't need to know that._

"We had just finished watching a movie. We were… cuddling." Yamato said nervously. "Takeru, are you sure you're totally okay with me and Taichi dating? It's kind of unnerving that you're so calm about it."

In all honesty, Hikari had called Takeru and woken him up as soon as she and Tai got back from Yamato's apartment. She had told him what Tai had said about Yamato… how he was getting teased at school, how he was scared his family would reject him. She told him how scared Tai had been to tell her about himself.

"_Yamato is a great brother, Tiki, and you're lucky to have him. You have to show him how strong you can be. You need to support him. Taichi is so lucky to have Yamato now… can you see it? I've never seen either of them so happy since, well… I can't remember the last time they were so happy, actually." _Takeru remembered how he could practically hear Hikari smiling through the phone. It made him smile, too.

Sure, it would take some getting used to for Takeru. It hadn't quite sunk in yet that Yamato really _liked _Taichi. He wondered if when they kissed, they felt like the world didn't matter. The first time Takeru had kissed Hikari, it was like everything else disappeared. It was as if they were floating on air. He wondered if Yamato felt that way when he kissed Taichi. Were Yamato's worst nightmares about losing Taichi, and best dreams about being with him forever?

"Do you love him?" the younger blonde finally asked.

"Yes." The answer was firm, certain. There was not a moment's hesitation, not one unconvinced bone in Yamato's body.

"Then how could I not be okay with it? He makes you happy. That's all I want for you."

Yamato hugged his little brother tightly. "Thank you, Takeru."

***

A/N Thanks RavenAngelxX and Takato The Dreamer for reviewing.

Okay guys, so I was checking the traffic on my stories out of curiosity, and guess what?

**This story has reviews from 4 different people. But 123 people are reading it.** So, review! Because I know what countries you live in. I could track you down for reading my story and not even commenting. I'll walk by and _glare at you_. It'll happen, for real. Even if you review just to say "_God dammit, this story is a waste of my fucking time_" it'll be better than no comment. You don't even need to log in. You can press the "review" button and make a funny name like "_Mike Hawk_" (say it out loud) and draw a smiley face or tell me how I used the wrong grammar or misspelled soemthing (on purpose, to be ironic, if you didn't catch that) or how I should go eat razorblades because you hate me.

_Dammit, write something._

Love,

XDarcyx


	5. Chapter 5

On Monday, Taichi picked up Yamato for school, which he called 'a new tradition'. The blonde smiled at not having to take the bus anymore. It tended to be dirty, and sometimes he got glances or glares from people he didn't necessarily trust.

The brunette pulled into the parking lane a few blocks from the school.

"We're going to be early. I'm never early. That's tradition, too, and I _don't_ break tradition." Tai grinned mischievously.

Glancing at his watch, Yamato read out: "Eight fifteen. We've got ten minutes if you want to get all your books and be on time." Understanding the brunette's meaning, he leaned over and kissed Taichi.

As the kiss got more passionate, they heard a rap on the window. Yamato jumped away from Taichi and sunk down into his seat, spotting Mimi out of the passenger window.

"Shit!" Tai exclaimed. Yamato rolled down his window.

"Hey, Mimi," he said in his best 'nothing's wrong' tone.

"Hi Matt!" She had insisted on giving them Americanized nicknames ever since she moved back to Japan from New York. Peering past Yamato, she waved at the brunette. "Hi Tai! Are you two together? How cute!"

"Yeah. Want a ride for the next few blocks to school?" Yamato offered happily. The brunette was clearly frustrated, but Mimi was oblivious.

As the bubbly redhead chatted away, Tai waited for an opportunity to interrupt her. Finally, it arrived.

"…and it spilled all over her! It was crazy."

They had just arrived at the school, and Tai had pulled into his usual parking spot.

"Mimi, can you please not tell anyone about Yama and I? We're not really… 'out', so to speak."

"Sure! No problem." She beamed with her signature sincere smile, which never failed to calm the boys. Thanking Taichi for driving her, she stepped out of the car.

"Tai," Yamato cut into the moment of silence both were enjoying after Mimi's chat-fest, "I thought about it yesterday. I want to tell people… about _me._ Not us, not you, just me. Maybe… maybe then some of the fan-girls would back off, and I bet mocking me would get old for some people, after a while, if I was okay with them being right about it."

Tai smiled, and hugged the blonde. "I'm so proud of you." They both climbed out of Taichi's car.

The pair walked in through the glass doors of the high school.

--*--

"Tai, you realize this is the first time we're coming here as –"

"Yeah, I know." Taichi cut off his boyfriend. Yamato scowled at the brunette's harshness.

Tai was nervous. He was walking through the halls with his _boyfriend_ now, not just his best friend, and not his thought-to-be unrequited crush. He wanted to run away screaming and skip around gleefully at the same time. He wanted to hold Yamato's hand, and he didn't want to be seen with the blonde in case someone figured it out.

It was confusing, to say the least.

They reached the brunette's locker and Tai got out his History textbook, Yamato already having his own books ready in his backpack. Unlike his boyfriend, the blonde actually did his homework on a regular basis.

"By the way, don't make any plans at lunch." Yamato told Tai.

"Why not?"

"We've got to go talk to Daisuke. He's been calling Ken names… not pleasant ones." the blonde replied. Taichi nodded and frowned, both at Daisuke and mention of Ken. He was trying to clear the… _incident_ involving the black-haired boy from his memory.

--*--

First period came and went, and Yamato prepared himself for his first daily dose of harassment from his 'friends' in gym class. He was tense as he waited for it to happen.

Tai, on the other hand, had never seemed so comfortable. For the first time in the semester, he changed with the rest of the class instead of finding a secluded area. The blonde noticed how his boyfriend kept glancing at him as he dressed, and Yamato found himself blushing and suppressing a giggle. He also noticed Tai's perfect tanned muscular body, and had to actively try not to become aroused. He wondered if the brunette was really doing the same thing, picturing his scrawny, pale teen body. It seemed unbelievable to the blonde. _I'm nothing desirable._

Once both were changed, they headed out into the gym. Today, the class would be playing soccer. Tai grinned. Leaning close to whisper in Yamato's ear, he stated, "Soccer's only the second best thing about this class so far."

This time, Yamato did giggle. Loudly. _Shit, I sound like a fucking girl! _Curious glances looked at the blonde, but the teacher continued sorting the students into teams. This time, the blonde was not lucky enough to be on the same team as Taichi, ruining his good mood.

Taichi's team won by a landslide.

As the class retreated to the locker room, the brunette wandered off to his distant shower. Instead of staying back, Yamato followed him.

Their classmates' conversations faded to a low murmur. Taichi started his shower routine as usual, but grinned at the blonde as he did the same.

Yamato finished rinsing the conditioner from his hair and opened his eyes to find Taichi in front of him. He could feel the brunette's body heat. He smiled as tanned hands found his pale hips.

Tai ran his hands up and down the blonde's sides before using his right to stroke Yamato's member. He placed the other over his boyfriend's mouth lightly, and leaned forward to whisper in the blonde's ear huskily.

"Stay quiet." The blonde bit down on Taichi's palm to suppress a moan.

Finally, Yamato came into Taichi's hand. The brunette licked one finger off slowly, and then rinsed the rest in the shower stream.

"I love you," the blonde whispered breathlessly as he turned the shower knob to 'off' and wrapped a fluffy white towel around his waist.

"Love you too." the brunette responded.

When they returned to the lockers, no one bothered Yamato. _Maybe having Taichi here is making them afraid to be mean to me._ The blonde smiled at the thought that Tai was protecting him, even though he wasn't open about being his boyfriend.

--*--

_Fucking Biology. _Yamato wanted out of class, now. He had just started thinking about Taichi and himself in the showers, and his pants were getting tighter every second.

A tap on his shoulder brought him back to reality, though, and he turned to see Francis's signature sneer.

"Decided to come back to school, did you? Can't miss out on learning about dicks, now, can you?"

"Yeah, that's right. I might miss something useful. Too bad for you, you don't have one, and you'll never get close enough to any girl to use any of the knowledge you might get from this class, right?" The blonde smirked, forcibly. He was trying not to shake.

Francis scowled. "Well, you- uh, you're a faggot!"

Yamato smiled. "So what? If you're looking for a date, the answer is no. "

The class laughed, and Yamato grinned. They were laughing at Francis, not him. A girl sitting beside him, who he didn't know the name of, high-fived him.

"Whatever," the jock behind Yamato fumed. "Don't try and _convert_ Taichi, either. The last thing we need is the captain wearing make up and painting his nails, too."

_Shit._ Yamato didn't have a comeback to that. _Just lie._ "Tai is straight as an arrow." _Good one. _"He's not my type, anyways," the blonde added for good measure.

Thankfully, Francis seemed to buy it, and didn't bother Yamato any more.

Finally, the bell went, and it was time for the fateful 'chat' with Daisuke Motomiya.

***

A/N. There we go!

So, thanks to:

Mike Hawk – HAHAHHAHA awesome. Didn't realize anyone would actually use that name. PS. I'm gonna include a death-glare threat with this chapter, too, since it seemed to work fairly well. So, you'll have to review again! Mwaahaha, I am devious. Not really, but, you know.

Shinikan – Thanks! You're awesome.

RavenAngelxX – There's nothing wrong with reviewing every chapter, except maybe that it swells my ego. One day… it's just gonna pop, like a balloon.

Takato The Dreamer – By the time you get to this chapter, you'll know that your review of chapter 2 was much appreciated. Yay!!!

The offer still stands. If you don't review, you get a glare. I know where you live. Forty-one people read my first glare threat, and only three reviewed! Not good enough, guys. This is the name my friend gives to put up on the screen when he goes bowling, and it has served him well. Now I am passing it on to you. You can put a frowny face, a smiley face, or an actual review. Death threats and hate mail are also accepted.

Also, I've found that if you Google-search 'funny names', the first result will give you a list of hilarious pseudonyms to choose from, if you don't have an account or don't feel like logging in…


	6. Chapter 6

It took them all of ten seconds to pick the puff of auburn hair in a sea of middle school students swarming the hallway.

"Daisuke!" Tai yelled, disregarding Yamato's request that he be 'subtle' before they had entered the school. The blonde just scowled as the youth in question came bounding towards the pair.

"Hi guys! I didn't expect to see you here today. Want me to go find 'Kari and T.S.?"

"That's alright," Yamato replied, "We – uh, Tai, mostly – need to talk to you…" The brunette shot his boyfriend a look as the blonde averted responsibility in talking to Daisuke.

"Yeah," Tai added quietly. "Let's go outside."

The auburn haired youth shrugged his shoulders and followed the brunette outside, with the thin blonde trailing behind them.

They sat in the grass, oblivious to many much more shaded areas, and Yamato had to squint, being the only one facing the sun as they formed a little circle. Actually, Tai faced Yamato, and Daisuke just looked on awkwardly as Tai reached out to touch Yamato's calf tenderly as the blonde sat cross-legged.

"Um, why are you guys acting all – uh.."

"Gay?" Tai suggested viciously, almost challenging. "Daisuke, you need to grow up. Yama's been talking to Ken, who seems to think you've been calling him names behind his back. Is that true, Daisuke?"

"I'm not calling him _names,_ I'm telling people what he is. They need to know so that when they go over to his house they're not caught off guard when he sticks his dirty faggot hands down their pants." the youth replied, completely straight faced.

Yamato's jaw dropped. Not because of Daisuke's language, not even because of Ken's interesting choices on how to let the objects of affection know he's interested (The blonde had not yet forgotten the way in which _he_ had found out, despite his attempts to forget the moment).

No. Yamato's jaw was on the ground because his boyfriend was now on top of a middle school boy, punching him to a bloody pulp.

"Tai. TAI! Get off him!" the blonde pleaded, pulling with his whole body weight on the back of Taichi's shirt. When Tai did stop, the blonde toppled over backwards.

"Don't you _ever_ talk like that in front of my boyfriend." the brunette finally threatened, trying to get his breath back. Daisuke just sat still, petrified of the wild-haired high school boy who had been punching him relentlessly just a few seconds ago.

The youth shook his head gently, not in disagreement, just to clear his thoughts. When he looked up, it was at Yamato.

"I'm sorry."

"You need to say that to Ken," the blonde snapped. "Do you realize how stressed out he's been about this? He trusted you. Yeah, his way of telling you wasn't really thought out too well, but it's really fucking hard to just up and tell your best guy friend that you've got the hots for him."

Tai nodded in agreement. Daisuke just stared at his feet.

"I know it's hard. But I fucked up my chances to tell him now, right?" Daisuke was crying. "I just freaked because, well, I really wanted him to keep doing it. But he's my best friend! I wanted to stop it so I wouldn't have to deal with it. And then I told everyone because I didn't want anyone taking him away from me. I guess I'm just a stupid, selfish little brat, aren't I?"

It was Tai's turn to act dumbfounded while Yamato just smiled knowingly. "You might have fucked it up, yeah. But I don't think it's too late for you to be his friend again. Ken really needs you right now, Daisuke. Once he's forgiven you, you can take it from there. I think you should tell him, though. He deserves to know why you've been treating him like shit the past couple weeks."

Daisuke nodded and Yamato smiled.

"Now go get him, before Takumi does."

***

SORRY TO EVERYONE for taking so long with this chapter. I'm also sorry that it's so short.

Working full time, falling in love, and manymanymany concerts have intruded on my writing time, as has the plot for "I Didn't Mean It" which is going strong and greedily consuming all of my creativity.

I can't pretend that discovering has helped me find more free time, either. There are so many Javey stories, and I need to read ALL OF THEM. It's necessary.

Thanks to those who reviewed chapter 5, and to Tiger Paws: I know they probably wouldn't be the kind of band to add a screamer, but I couldn't think of an instrument I would want Ken to play. He'd probably kick ass at piano or something, but I thought making him scream would say more about his personality and problems than an instrument could, except perhaps beating the shit out of some drums, but I really wanted to make the band have a totally spastic Tre Cool or Keith Moon type drummer. That's just fun to write.

So in conclusion to everybody: REVIEWREVIEWREVIEW hah, my spell check didn't underline that?

If you've got time to kill, go read "I Didn't Mean It". It's another one of these 'Darcy writes things based on Bayside songs' stories.

Because this AN is getting longer than the chapter, I'll end it now.

XO Darcy D.


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